Shawn L. Bird

Original poetry, commentary, and fiction. All copyrights reserved.

poem-tending roses March 3, 2014

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 10:30 am
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I should have

warned you about our bud.

She’s thorny

but she’s precious.

Touch her brusquely

and you’ll bleed from flesh

torn by her thorns. 

They are sharp, but they protect

a precious bud.

Some day, if we tend her well

she will blossom into a glorious rose,

for now she is a thorny stalk

with a tentative bud,

doubtful of blooming.

She will need to be coaxed,

but someday, her unique beauty

will amaze you.

She will show the world

talent, insight, and vision.

She’ll be a complexity of

colour, scent, tenacity.

For now, she is a thorny stalk,

but we have faith

the guarded bud

will bloom

 

 

 

poem- stranger November 17, 2013

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 11:36 am
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You

were the stranger in the house

the sullen face across the table.

You

were the accuser in the house

certain of your imaginary world.

You

were the lost in the house

confused by our reality.

You

were in the house,

but we did not reach

You.

 

Poem for T A May 9, 2013

Filed under: Poetry,Teaching — Shawn L. Bird @ 12:32 am
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Who you are

is who you are

and you are perfect

as you are.

.

The reality of

who you are

is your reality,

and you are perfect

as you are.

.

The complications of

who you are

are a reality.

So?

You are

complicated,

that’s perfect, too.

.

When you embrace

all you are,

each complicated

component of your reality,

others will embrace it, too,

because you are perfectly

complicated,

and complicated

is really cool.

.

Who you are

is who you are

and you are perfect

as you are.

 

Poem: you May 7, 2013

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 10:24 am
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You stand against the

wall, arms crossed, sardonic smile

immune to laughter.

.

You’ve seen darkness that

they can only imagine,

and you are hardened

.

from the admiration

of flirting gazes because

your heart is cold,

.

Frozen by bad maternity

and noncommittal

paternity.

.

Their bad judgements burn

within your heart until

destroying misery

.

means destroying

everything you should love,

innocent or guilty,

.

and then it means

flash firing your future,

scarring your life upon ours,

.

like a victim of

Hiroshima’s bombs whose life

vanishes in an

.

instant, leaving only

a silhouette, burnt white

on blackened walls.

.

.

I’m still processing the recent murder/suicide of a former student.   The idea of an image being frozen in memory by tragedy called to mind the silhouettes created in Hiroshima when people’s shadoes were left, though their bodies were vaporized.  While at first glance a free verse, the poem has some form: each triplet stanza follows the haiku syllable count (17 syllables per stanza) to reiterate this idea.

 

Reviewing Playing with Matches July 17, 2012

Filed under: book reviews — Shawn L. Bird @ 4:50 pm
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Playing with Matches by Brian KatcherPlaying with Matches by Brian Katcher

Another winner by author Brian Katcher, whose male narrators ring so true.  Katcher has dealt with the complexities of relationships as he examines lust and friendship amid dreams and realities.  In this book, while lusting over the cheer-leader he’s adored since elementary, the main character makes friends with the burn victim who has been the butt of jokes and ignored for years.  Of course, just when their relationship amps up, the cheerleader takes an interest at last.  Confusion, hurt, and angst are common ingredients in fiction for teens, just as it is in their real lives.  Katcher handles it all expertly, revealing the sad truth that there are no easy solutions.

It occurs to me, that aside from Diana Gabaldon, I haven’t been this impressed with an author in a long time.  I think I should get in touch with Katcher and see if we can arrange an interview for this blog.  I want to know more about him.

Hey Brian, if you see this, send me a note on shawn (dot) bird (at) ymail (dot) com and let’s set something up!  🙂

 

An Almost Perfect Review July 14, 2012

Filed under: book reviews — Shawn L. Bird @ 12:55 pm
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I realise that I am posting more book reviews this week than I’ve posted all year, but that has something to do with it being summer.  🙂  I can get through two books a day during the summer time  (or a read of someone else, and some work on my own writing projects).  Here’s a great one for you!

Almost Perfect

.


Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher  

ISBN 978-0-385-73665-7

New York: Delacorte Press, 2009.  361 p.

This is a brilliant book. Katcher created fully drawn, believable characters dealing in confusion and sincerity with complex issues. Logan, a kid in a red necked town in Missouri falls for the new cute girl at his school. Much to his shock, she turns out to be transgendered. Issues are explored. Love. Sexuality. Violence. Acceptance. Families. Friendship. Katcher has it all, and it is absolutely wonderful.

A great read for anyone willing to walk a mile in other shoes, straight, or LBGTQ. The courage it takes for Sage to be who she is, makes a profound statement about what a hero is.

Cheers to Brian Katcher. I couldn’t put this book down. Great read.

All 5 stars.

 

heat in the band room June 14, 2012

Filed under: Grace Awakening,Grace Awakening Myth,Writing — Shawn L. Bird @ 12:16 am
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The latest snippet from Grace Awakening Myth

Things are heating up in the band room!  (Ben is narrating).

.

Ryan came in.  “Did you see Tanis?”   His eyes were wild.

“When?”

“Today.  She’s wearing something.”

“I should hope so.  Otherwise she’d be arrested.”

He shook his head, as if to shake out an image, “No, I mean, she’s wearing some…thing.  Ahhh.”  He shook harder, then hissed, “Look!”

Tanis sauntered in.  She was definitely wearing ‘something,’ all right.  Skin tight.  Mini-dress.  Black leather.

Ryan cast a frantic look over to Mr. J.  Mr. J glanced back and raised an eye brow.

Paul came in, grinning.

Tanis glanced over her shoulder and then bent over.

Paul sucked in his breath.

Ryan gulped.  Loudly.  Like he had swallowed his tongue.

“Tanis,” Mr. J called.  “I need to see you over here, please.”

She grinned at us, our jaws hovering somewhere around our navels, and gave a little shoulder wiggle as she passed us.

Mr. J spoke to her quietly.

She shrugged and left the room.

He came over to us.  “For whose benefit was that display, gentlemen?”

“I…uh…well…” Ryan stuttered.

Paul twitched, but didn’t seem to have the capacity of speech anymore.

I inhaled.  “It’s complicated, sir.”

 

light June 13, 2012

Filed under: anecdotes — Shawn L. Bird @ 2:52 pm
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I had modified a round plastic lamp shade into a bowl by putting a couple pieces of tape across the hole at the bottom.  It was sitting out where it had just served as a draw bucket for a game of charades with my drama class.

We were waiting for the bell.  Rylee picked up the lamp shade and set it on his head.

Justin looked up and said, “Hey Rylee, feeling a little light headed?”